What is type 1 diabetes?

House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has revealed he was diagnosed with diabetes shortly before the general election.
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Sir Lindsay, who has type 1 diabetes, said the symptoms were so severe that doctors wanted him to stay in hospital, but he refused to miss the campaign.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the two different types of the condition and the differences between them.

What is type 1 diabetes?

Speaker of The House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle (Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty Images)Speaker of The House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle (Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Speaker of The House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle (Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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Type 1 diabetes causes the body to attack cells in your pancreas that produce insulin, which regulates sugar levels in the body.

This leads to a build-up of glucose levels in the blood because it cannot be absorbed into the body.

Having high blood glucose levels for a long period of time can cause serious damage to your heart, eyes, feet and kidneys.

The condition forces the body to try to get rid of the excess glucose through the kidneys.

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Around 8% of diabetes sufferers in the UK have type 1, according to charity Diabetes UK.

How is it different from type 2?

The majority of people with diabetes have type 2 of the condition.

Type 2 sufferers are unable to make enough insulin to regulate their blood glucose levels, or the insulin they make does not work properly.

Key causes of the condition are a poor diet, excess body fat and inactivity.

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Type 1 diabetes is not brought on by a poor diet or unhealthy lifestyle and its overall cause remains unknown.

How can type 1 be treated?

People with type 1 diabetes have to check their blood glucose levels several times a day and inject insulin into their bodies.

This treatment can manage the long-term effects of the condition.

Are there any similarities between the types?

Both forms of diabetes share common symptoms, although people suffering from type 1 will display them more quickly.

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These symptoms include needed to urinate frequently, particularly at night, fatigue, losing weight, blurred vision and cuts and wounds taking longer to heal than normal.

How is type 2 treated?

Some people with type 2 diabetes are able to manage the condition by eating more healthily, being more active and losing weight.

Most people require medication to bring the amount of glucose in their blood to a safe level while many are also prescribed with insulin.

It is possible to put type 2 diabetes into remission and research suggests that the key way to do this is by losing weight, according to Diabetes UK.

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